Is is just me, or does this title fit a good portion of the people that post in the Rant & Raves? Personally, I am a Heterosexual Conservative, God-fearing Christian, but to each their own. Before you get all froggy & jump, I have many friends from all walks of life & that includes homosexual liberal.....well, I don't know any atheists.

Basically, I just wanted a reason to post this pic. Ya'll can Rant & Rave about it. Have fun & I'll enjoy reading.

Thanks BJean! On a completely different note, I had my 1st appointment at the weight loss center today. I don't have to go through some of the preliminary stuff since I just sat through most of it with DH. Woo hoo! That actually moves my surgery date up by about 3 months. I should be banded by early May at the latest! Most likely (depending on surgeons schedule) mid-April though. I actually see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm starting to get excited.

BTW, since I've now outed myself as a smart a$$, I thought I'd share my personal e-mail signature:

Edina - "Inside of me, sweetie, inside of me, there is a thin person just screaming to get out."

Mother - "Just the one, dear?"

It's from Ab Fab (Absolutely Fabulous), although I'm not quite Gay enough to actually watch it... ROTFLMFAO!!!

EWWW! Don't even want to think about that one!

On another note, now that I've been reading more posts since mine from yesterday, I see that most of you guys aren't any kind of bashers at all. In fact, a lot of you seem to be big fat (but shrinking!) smart a$$e$ like myself! :biggrin1: I'm really glad I found this forum and I promise I'll try not to take everything so seriously from now on...

We can be quite serious at times, but we remain civil. We have discussed topics in this "LBT Rant and Raves" section that at most other forums would wind up with a locked thread in no time flat.

There have been problems here and some members have had to be booted, but the moderators do a splendid job of keeping things mellow and yet letting us air things out.

At many forums, if a moderator locks out a thread that is very heated, someone will immediately start another thread where that first left off.

We take turns agreeing with each other and fighting tooth and nail with each other. One thing I like is that I could be agreeing almost word for word with "member A" in one thread, and arguing with "member A" in another at the same time. No cliques. That is an important thing, a very important thing.

Well said, TOM.

Very true, TOM. There are some threads that I want to beat you over the head with a shovel and the very next post I totally agree with you! LOL

MsDad: Hilarious! One of my favs was when Edina needed to lose a bunch of weight right away. She was on a massage table, they smathered her with tons of mud and wrapped her tightly like a mummy. She was supposed to lose something like 10 lbs. When they unwrapped her, she had GAINED weight! I could SO identify!

Wow, when it comes to heads up their asses, that's a label I associate with fundamentalist Christians. Especially evangelical fundamentalist Christians, who usually tend to be the most intolerant and ignorant people I've ever run across. But to each their own.

Wow, when it comes to heads up their asses, that's a label I associate with fundamentalist Christians. Especially evangelical fundamentalist Christians, who usually tend to be the most intolerant and ignorant people I've ever run across. But to each their own.

And a big ditto!

Wow, when it comes to heads up their asses, that's a label I associate with fundamentalist Christians. Especially evangelical fundamentalist Christians, who usually tend to be the most intolerant and ignorant people I've ever run across. But to each their own.

While many of that group may be intolerant, painting with such a broad brush may appear to make a person who says that seem equally intolerant (of them, at least).

Personally, while I despise many things that the leaders of the (UN)Christian (NEVER)Right Political Movement espouse, I have found that many of its members are descent people who have had their ideas shaped by powerful men who are adapt at tailoring both the Bible and 21st century news and Political stories to the benefit of the (UN)Christian (NEVER)Right Political Movement.

My grandparents where Evangelical Christian Fundamentalists who went to many Pentecostal churches (Grandpa's idea of a fun night out was going to church), but except for handing out literature and saying "God Bless you" to strangers, they were nothing like the modern day followers of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

They may have said, "It was God's will" for any event which transpired, but they never said, "It was God's way of punishing (put in a group name here)". My grandparents and the members of "Brother Paul's' and Sister Rose's" congregation where the first (and maybe only) to welcome the first Black family in the neighborhood (and the second, third, forth family...) while the many others put their homes up for sale immediately after seeing the first dark faces.

It was the 1950's and real estate brokers were bushing "block busting". We found out later, that a broker bought a home on my grandparent's block for $18,000 and sold it for $11,000 to the lowest class Black person he could find, knowing that the ensuing white panic and "white flight" would make his loss a small investment compared to the future's harvest.

My grandparent's Evangelical Christian Fundamentalist Pentecostal church's members almost stopped the tactic from succeeding, but they were outnumbered and property value dropped. Of course, now we have the Falwell's and Robertson's, and the politicians preaching "Neighborhood Values", which is a coded way of saying, "stop the minorities from coming it"; not just the ones who want to be "Block Busters" for economic gain (of brokers) but for people who are just trying to get ahead and improve their lot by moving to a better neighborhood or buying their first home.

Anyway, I think we should all be careful how we rate and describe various groups. I know I have been guilty when I write "Christians" but really mean " members of the (UN)Christian (NEVER)Right Political Movement”.

Years ago, the Christians (even evangelical fundamentalist) were nothing like what I've been running into lately. They were tolerant, loving people who seemed to have a communication with their God that was beyond me. I remember quizzing every one I ran across about the whole "God talks to me" thing.

As time has marched on, however, I find that those types of fundamentalist Christians (loving, tolerant, with a surety in their religion) come along as often as a blue moon.

I don't know what's changed, but there's a lot of intolerance in the Christian world, and an aversion to people who are (or seem) too intelligent (or too tolerant) as being somehow untrustworthy. I don't get it.

But I do also think that this administration has completely destroyed the reputation of Christians (and Americans) around the world. They (Bush and Cronies) are the epitome of evil. Self-interested, money-worshipping, lying, scum-sucking cabal of people who should be imprisoned for war crimes, hiding behind what good Christians they are. While their behavior is actually much more akin to satanism than it is to Christianity.

PS: I know there are a lot of Christians on this list, and many of them seem to be lovely people. But there are a few that just make my eyes roll. Like the one who posted the original cartoon. If that piece of bigoted shit is what makes her giggle, well, it says a lot.

Years ago, the Christians (even evangelical fundamentalist) were nothing like what I've been running into lately. They were tolerant, loving people who seemed to have a communication with their God that was beyond me. I remember quizzing every one I ran across about the whole "God talks to me" thing.

As time has marched on, however, I find that those types of fundamentalist Christians (loving, tolerant, with a surety in their religion) come along as often as a blue moon.

I don't know what's changed, but there's a lot of intolerance in the Christian world, and an aversion to people who are (or seem) too intelligent (or too tolerant) as being somehow untrustworthy. I don't get it.

But I do also think that this administration has completely destroyed the reputation of Christians (and Americans) around the world. They (Bush and Cronies) are the epitome of evil. Self-interested, money-worshipping, lying, scum-sucking cabal of people who should be imprisoned for war crimes, hiding behind what good Christians they are. While their behavior is actually much more akin to satanism than it is to Christianity.

PS: I know there are a lot of Christians on this list, and many of them seem to be lovely people. But there are a few that just make my eyes roll. Like the one who posted the original cartoon. If that piece of bigoted shit is what makes her giggle, well, it says a lot.

It is the leadership of the Christian fundamentalist movement who, though they are ministers, (I think) act like politicians and businessmen. They are using religion to fill their bank accounts and to feed their hunger for power, yet the masses only see them as men of God.

This afternoon the DH and I went to Mark Walberg's new flick, "The Shooter" and it should be required viewing for a lot of people who post here. Nah, not really, afterall it is a movie, not a documentary. But it is amazing how relevant it is specifically to the political discussions and thoughts people post about the war here at LBT. If you're in denial about Bush and Co., you will make all kinds of excuses about how it is an exaggerated version of what goes on in Washington, D.C. In my humble opinion, based on my experience and exposure to politics, it offers up more truth than fiction.

Maybe if you were a God Loving Christian instead of a God fearing Christian you would love your neighbor as you love thyself as Jesus commanded.

Marry me!!! Thank you, thank you!!!

This afternoon the DH and I went to Mark Walberg's new flick, "The Shooter" and it should be required viewing for a lot of people who post here. Nah, not really, afterall it is a movie, not a documentary. But it is amazing how relevant it is specifically to the political discussions and thoughts people post about the war here at LBT. If you're in denial about Bush and Co., you will make all kinds of excuses about how it is an exaggerated version of what goes on in Washington, D.C. In my humble opinion, based on my experience and exposure to politics, it offers up more truth than fiction.

Try "Enemy of the State". It is not Science Fiction. It can be done.

It is old and can be seen on Cable channels.

I've heard about "Enemy of the State" and seen parts of it. Thanks for reminding me of it. I look to see when it is on next and this time I'll try to TIVO it.

We really like movies and can understand the underlying social commentary of some movies like the Walberg one. I don't enjoy the blood and guts, but I like seeing the human side through the actors and their scripts.

BJean, I just saw it last week. It was pretty good.